Public House Intro
Aficionados, brothers and sisters of the leaf, cigar peeps, tobacco cat’s, newbies and old heads…hopefully you can get close to one of those handles. Post the uncertain and ever-evolving moments recently experienced by all (Pandemic, claims of election fraud followed by a televised insurrection, and the full-on barely announced arrival of artificial intelligence) summer in the south right on schedule, is still hot as hell; don’t believe me, checkout the “Karen” filling shot glasses with boob sweat, or Earl on the porch with the chair sticking to his ass every time he stands up…trust me it’s goddamn hot. It’s summer in the south, we expect the flame thrower to show up in late June and July through August (no pity party needed) , with all that being said let’s focus. If you ever find yourself in downtown Stone Mountain, on Main street and in need of a cigar, a well mixed and properly poured cocktail served beside some creative eat’s, check out The Public House Cigar and Piano Bistro.
In The Beginning
Jeff Carey and Rory Webb are the proprietors, they opened to the public (pun intended) in October of 2016 after completely revamping the space. This building was previously used as a retail shop for dolls and had to be completely reimagined. Rory’s many design ideas were expressed through Jeff’s meticulous execution, you can experience intimacy, privacy, and a sense of community all in this one establishment…the installed charm is eclectic and not bothersome, more connected than off-putting, your not constantly asking yourself “what the hell were they thinking”.
Be Good To The People
Rory has a background in hospitality which is constantly on display, it’s really important to him that customers are greeted the moment they walk through the door by the hostess, one of the owners, and in a pinch, the
bulldog! Service matters to them and I for one sure as hell appreciate them for that…for those of you old enough to remember the show “Cheers” , and how they knew everyone’s name that frequented the bar, well they have some of that happening at Public House “Norm ! “.
Are You Not Entertained
A piano bar with a twist, one of the owner’s “Jeff Carey” , has a background as a vocally trained performer and can be found belting out tunes while being accompanied by the resident pianist. Usually, when an owner decides to perform at their own establishment, well, let’s just say it doesn’t always work out…but to the contrary, Mr. Carey actually has some talent and carries a tune pretty well.
Hard Truths
While I throughly enjoy shinning a light on a deserving cigar hang-out, it would be disingenuous of me not to talk about the elephant in the room, which is Stone Mountain park’s history. Without going on an opinionated diatribe i’ll just list some published facts about the park (Public House is not located in the park, it’s in Stone Mountain Village).
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The KKK was restarted at the Park in 1915 and it continues to be a sacred place for the hate group
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The Park is the largest Confederate memorial in the country, though no battles were actually fought here and work on the carving was completed in 1972
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The Georgia Legislature established the Park and legally required it to serve as a Confederacy memorial in defiance of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision ending school segregation
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The Park used prison labor for four decades
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There are more than 10 Park streets and features named after Confederate and Ku Klux Klan figures
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The Park is required by law to sell Confederate memorabilia in their gift shop (Walmart, Amazon, and eBay have banned the sale of such items)
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The Park still flies Confederate battle flags which are banned by the United States Military and NASCAR
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The Park has closed numerous times in recent years because of planned white supremacy protests and the clear and present danger they presented to public safety
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On July 4, 2020 nearly 200 heavily armed demonstrators with military-style weapons entered the Park to challenge white supremacy groups
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On August 15, 2020 the Park closed and the Georgia National Guard had to be deployed to Protect the park from a planned white supremacy rally
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Referring to this rally, the Park CEO Bill Stephens said, “If they got in, they’d have 3,200 acres to go crazy.”
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The Park’s August 15 closure diverted the heavily-armed hate group to Stone Mountain Village forcing businesses to close and the city to issue a public notice warning its residents
https://stonemountainaction.org/history-context
While the information listed above may not conjure up ideas of diversity and inclusion, I can tell you that the city itself is not indicative of that awful past…of the 6,614 residents reported in 2021, 84% of that population is of African decent.
I have celebrated birthday’s with friends, convened business meetings over Jamaican food, steak and cheese sandwich’s at a popular sub shop, and wonderful flavors at a local ice cream parlor…all in downtown Stone Mountain, without ever feeling out of place or threatened because of the color of my skin. I am emphatically in no way excusing the history of Stone Mountain; but I’m also not recklessly condemning the strides that have been made.
There’s Magic In Those Drinks
Initially when I was introduced to Public House, by friends a few years ago I was impressed right away, as a cigar lover I’m always on the lookout for an inviting cigar-friendly hang out. A decent cigar selection, good food, and a well stocked bar can all be checked-off at Public House. The kitchen has commercial grade air fryers that turn out things like: fried sushi and fried artichokes, they serve oversized pretzels and make French-style pizza’s…speaking of pizza, they make a Cuban style pizza, if you closed your eyes you’ed swear that you were in Little Havana Miami eating a Cubano sandwich. The drinks are prepared by an outstanding mixologist named Mia, her actual name is “Unamia Excellent (hope I didn’t butcher that) , she’s pleasant, knowledgeable, witty, and a little sassy, every bar needs a “Mia”.
Membership Has It’s Privilege’s
They also have a back patio that serves as a members area, previously all cigars had to be smoked out on the patio, but you can now smoke anywhere. One of the reasons I initially fell in love with Public House, centered around a feature they sadly no longer have. They had repurposed an old upright piano someone was throwing away, and turned it into a water fountain with lights and plants…it was glorious, no really, that shit was hot.
Public House Bar and Bistro, is definitely worth your time, there are lot’s of different places in the Atlanta Metro area where you can find a place to post-up and have a stick, but trust me they’re not all created equal, if you visit Public House on more than one occasion you’re likely to see some of the same people there…it’s not an accident, people vote with their feet, if the place sucked they wouldn’t come back. At least I wouldn’t. Public House get’s the coveted ThinkCigar seal of approval (not so coveted) , but I do approve.
Stone Mountain Public House Cigar and Piano Bistro, 947 Main Street , 678-439-5292 www.stonemountainpublichouse.com
As usual my friends find a comfortable spot and enjoy one of your favorite sticks…stay smokey my friends.
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